In 2019, I retired from Destination BC as the visitor services network program manager following a contract in 2018 with the North American and Global tourism marketing divisions. From 1995 to 2012 in Victoria, I had been a co-ordinator with Tourism BC in regional and community marketing, along with MRDT, sector marketing, and customer service training.
My wife and I chose Creston for retirement and moved here in 2020. Beyond our delight with our new location, I was equally pleased to join town council in fall 2021 and that opportunity has proven to be inspiring and extremely productive for me.
Since my success in the last by-election, it was always my plan to learn as much as possible from the existing team of experts, knowing that there was likely to be substantial turnover in this upcoming election. That succession planning has served me well. It’s clear how I can be of benefit in supporting the new mayor and council with dedication and integrity.
Over the past year on council, I have demonstrated my abilities and values, becoming a trusted member of the team and participating in a range of committee assignments and representing the town at significant events and conferences. I have loved working with this group and would be grateful to share that passion with the updated team over the next few years.
The town is incredibly competent in long-term planning and financial controls and has a well-established policy of consultation, research, and communication, with dynamic principles for adaptation (eg. climate change, affordable housing, etc.). In essence, the core issue is not the “WHAT” but the “HOW” in continuously improving our quality of life in the town, both physically and mentally.
The municipal role is to accomplish specific things and to do so with integrity and competence in all cases. Yet despite an astounding range of success in our physical accomplishments, we still have a small, nuisance-level group focused on perpetual disruption and distortion in favour of their narrow-minded and self-centred views. I would like to see a clear rejection of this destructive behaviour that has apparently existed for generations in this area, in favour of constructive and positive support of the community. Things would happen faster, cheaper, and we could all share in the pride as “Team Creston”.
For more information on my campaign, visit teamcreston.com or contact me at KeithBaldwin@gmail.com.